South Park Cemetery: 20 Feb 2016

There was silence all around; silence of death, even the trees were soundless as if the spring wind was devoid in them or to put it in a different way, the wind was also not touching the same. The silence was initially haunting but then some like minded people were also hoovering around making some sense out of the graves and the untold stories. The age of the cemetry is so old that even the mourners who had erected the tombs are also no more alive. What a milieu!
I adviced my young kid and his mother to wait for me at the entrance while I entered inside to roam about the place.

Marked outside the gate

From the outside

What attracted me were
a. The different styles of tombs and memorials. I was under the impression that all would have graves but there were many which had epitaphs written on erected walls / stylish structure. Some designs were as seen by me in few of the Churches I have visited. some had to my opinion Muslim design and some had absolutely modern design with decorative motifs.
b. Difference in sizes. It went on to show that death was actually a leveller. We had senior officials of the then army / ships / regiments with a smaller memorials while some junior officers and individuals (relatives of officials serving the East India Co.) had large and well-designed tombs/memorablias.
c. The various fonts in which the epitaphs were written. Some had simple Times Roman font, some Arial, still some Fatfrank and some were in Litania. Some were engraved, some written and still some were etched.
d. Description of the deaths of some, their importance described by those bereaving the death. Some of them were very elaborative and were written by different people.
e. Some of them tell about the nature of work of the individuals and the institutions (with the East India Company and the British Empire) to which they belonged.
Each of the grave had a silent story to tell. Some had details bearing the names and some had a brief and some had a much larger description of the person and very few had the story of their deaths too. Many were marked as Endangered by Tree Rootson it. Most probably there is a recoed of each of the grave because I saw a number written in red in most of them.
Some of the graves I found bearing names were as follows
1. Sarah Thomson
2. Charles Scott Waring, Adjutant to the Body Guard to the Right Hon. the Governor General
3. Blenora Jones
4. Edmund Stone William Archibald (1758-1803)
5. Mrs Eliza Sallet (d 09-Feb 1806)
6. Hastings Impey Esq., S/o Sir Elijah Impey (famous for the infamous reasons) d 04-Dec. 1805 aged 14 years
7. Robert Lister
8. Arthur Hastings Vansittart Esq. of Bengal civil Service (d 19 Feb. 1807)
9. James Brice Esq. (d 28-Oct 1808 aged 43 years)

10. Henry Moore (d 02-Jun 1823)

11. Thomas Boileau (June 1806)

12. Alexander Carnegy Esq. (d 23-May 1806)

13. John Dalley Esq. (d 18-Apr 1806)

14. Mrs M Dennison aged 26 and her infant daughter (d 30-Sep. 1806). There was the mention of another memorial as:” Capt. E S Dennison who survived his wife and child but a few days for on 16^th  Oct. following their deceased, he was united to them in death.15. Mr. Thomas Syars Driver (Architect) d 06-Dec 1797
16. Lieutenant Colonel Keaunan (05-Feb. 1803)
17. Alix Allardice Esq. d 02-Nov 1806
18. Edward Dashwood, S/o Thomas Dalhwood Esq. d 22-Dec 1802

19. The next one which I recorded was inscribed with His depositumest quod mortale fuit Joannis Caulfield hac vita September 25^th anno 1804.  A similar inscription is mentioned on the grave of Issac Newton in the West Minister’s Abbey. The wordings translate to: Here lies that which was mortal of…20. Marc Mercer, daughter of M Charles Weston d 29-May 1804 ages 27 years. An interesting write-up caught my attention: a tender mother, an affectionate wife and dutiful daughter loved and lamented by those who knew her.
21. Lt. Joseph Ferris of HM 24^th Regiment of Foot, second son of Joseph Ferris Esq. of Trure in Cornwell; d 14-Oct 1812

22. Thomas Andrews; late post master of DH Road d 5-July 1809 (45 years). A wonderful inscription was mentioned here too; though, I could not fathom some of the punctuation and the language.With bore as blasts and stormy winds
I was tossed too and fro
By God’s decree from danger free
I am harboured here below
Where at an anchor I do ride
With numbers of the fleet
Wuntil again I do set sail
My admiral Christ to meet
As also one Daughter
And two sons of the above

23. Margaret Holling d 6-Jan 18__. I have placed the blanks because the year was not visible but a quote attracted me found below her name: She lived respected and died lamented.
24. Captain W Mackay 1741-1805
25. Mrs. Anne Meade d 04-Dec __ (blanked out because the year was not properly visible)
26. Harriet and Caroline Augusta. The description went as this: Smith Daughters of I B Smith Esq. of the Civil Service on the Establishment Harriet
27. Sir John Meredyth Bar
28. Capt. John Galloway 1774-1808
29. Major George Downic d 14-Dec. 1808. What a long and wonderful description follows-
A character every way
Creditable to human nature
If honest, if purity of principle
Filal and fraternal affection
A consciencious discharge of
His public and private duties
If charity and the practice of every virtu
That ennables the character of man
Merit the Kingdom of Heavem
The living only have to lament
His premature death

30. Henry Hollings, late Captain in the 66^th Regiment BNI died in Lucknow 22-Feb. 1847
31. Lieut E S Frissell d 01-Feb. 1807
Assistant to the Resident of Poona
A young man whose superior abilities
Extraordinary attainments of high integrity
Rendered him an ornament to public
And private life 

31. W C Jones of Bengal Engineers d 18-Dec. 1818
32. Maj. William Mc Quilae of Bengal Artllery d 23-Oct 1824 in Calicut
33. Charles Knowles; third son of Charles Knowles Robinson, one of the magistrates of Calcutta (02-Sep 1827 – 22-July 1828)
34. Alexander Watson Esq., Indigo planter d 12-Oct 1828
35. Lieut. Col. Valentine Blacker. The inscription further read as: companion of the Bath of the Light Cavalry on the establishment of Fort George during ten years quarter master general of the Madras Army and subsequently Surveyor General of India OBT.
IV FEBRUARY MDCCCXXXVI AET XL
He happens to be the most influential person in the development of the Trigonometric Society of India.
36. Edward Gordon Esq. of Madras Merchant, formerly a Lietenant in His Majesty’s 66^thRegiment of Foot and for several years Commandant of the Military Escort of HH The Nizam of Hyderabad.
37. One of the famous graves i.e. of Henry Louis Vivian Derozio. It had a huge bust (b 18-Apr 1809, d 26-Dec 1831). The inscription on his tomb reads as:
Pioneer of the 19^thcentury Indian Renaissance, greatest teacher of the Era, Great rational and first of the patriotpoets who like ancient Socrates inspired a generation of students to be rational, international and deep lovers of the muse. He died for humanity.
The same is maintained by Derozio Commemoration Committee. Another inscription is :
All is silence. Let him sleep.
No dream shall flit into that slumber deep
No wondering mortal hitherto once shall wend
Here nothing over him but the heavens shall weep
Here never piligrim at shrine bend
But holy stars alone their nightly high and keep

At the entrance itself...

38.  Solomonis Hamilton
39. Mr. William Graham b Feb 1775 d Dec 1819. The said grave has been restored by his great-great grand daughter Gloria Graham in 2014.
40. John Sheppey Drury-First Lt. of His Majesty’s ship Modeste d 29-Ap 1808
41. Captain Charles Eggleston d 10-Sep. 1809. The inscription read as: esteemed and respected in an extensive Circle and much regretted as an honest man, a warm friend, a dutiful son and an affectionate brother.
42. Capt. Wemyss Orrok, Late Commander of the Hon. East India Co.’s ship Lord Nelson.
43. Sir William Jones d 27^th Apr 1794 aged 47 years & 7 months. The founder of Asiatic Society had the largest memorial. The quote written on one side of the structure was impressive. It reads as follows:
Here was deposited the mortal part of a man
Who feared God but not death
And maintained independence
But sought not riches
Who thought
None below him but the brave and unjust
None above him but the his wife and virtuous
Who loved
His parents, kindered, friends, country
With an ardour
Which was the Chief Source of 
All his pleasures and all his pairs
And who having devoted to their service
And to
The Improvement of his mind
Resigned it calmly
Giving Glory to his Creator,
Wifting peace on Earth
And with
Good will to all creatures,
On the twenty seventh day of April in the
Year of our blessed redeemer
One thousand seven hundred and ninety four.
I knew about the contributions of this person but not so much as was written poetically about him by his admirers.
The trip, I consider incomplete because I could not take photographs. I shall make it one day once again with permission.

Raj Bhavan: 11 Feb. 2016

This trip shall remain in my memoir for quite some time. Primarily because of the security attached to the structure, secondly because of the sheer size of the structure and lastly for the procedure adapted for entering the same. Raj Bhawan, one thing is seeing from outside and seeing with awe the sheer size of it and the other is the excitement which accompanied me when I tread inside the premises over the rounded pebbles at the entrance. The majesty of the building can be known from a small piece by Lord Curzon (1898-1905):“without doubt the finest Government House occupied by the representative of any Sovereign or Government in the world.”

I had written a simple letter addressed to HE Governor of the state of West Bengal requesting him to allow a visit into the prestigious premises. I was surprised to get a positive reply. The date and time was fixed as 11 AM of 11-Feb.. I was there at the stipulated time and I had to wait to be associated with another group of people who had a similar rendezvous at 11:30 AM. The team arrived and I was surprised to note that the team included the son, daughter-in-law and grandkids of the last ADC to Governor in the pre-independence era. The British needless to say have always been fascinated by history and thus the importance they provide to their predecessors.
We had a dedicated person to guide us through the property. The entrance was through the ground floor. It had a exhibit of large B&W paintings made of paper properly and beautifully stacked on stands. The ones which I could note were: Winding corridor, Ball room, Chinese cannon, View of Esplanade-East, horse which was part of the Coat-of-Arms, Throne Room, Victorian mirrors, view from the french window, a pool by the garden, South Eastern view, northern facade, northern part cochere, banquet hall, Marble Hall, view from the southern facade and view from the Govt. place.

The same further opened to a open space where we have huge busts of Roman emperors made by Europeans. It included Vespian, Tiberius, Augustus, Otho, Julius, Nero, Vitellius, Titus, Gaiba, Domittas, Calicula and Calaudius. There were all brought by Curzon when he was at the helm of affairs.

I was fortunate to see the first electric lift (of Asia) which was called the bird-cage lift. It was still working; this was towards to the right of the open space. The walls towards the library (towards the left of the open gallery) was decorated with many photographs. Some important ones were: Writer's Building, Funeral of Lord Brabourne (1940), Lord Mayo's bullock cart, visit of Nehru (1947), group photograph of Legislative Assembly (1810), Allied Leaders conference of 1942), Gov. John Anderson with Sarat Chandra & P C Ray at Dacca (1937) et al.. The wall had a large oil painting of Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar by Atul Bose (1957).

The library had an excellent collection of mostly photographs and some paintings; each of them were rare. Some were: C Rajgaopalchari with the entire Raj Bhawan staff (1948), Shanti Swarup Dhawan, outgoing Governor C Rajgopalchari and incoming Gov. K N Katju, Padmaja Naidu with Nehru and Dalai Lama (1956), Governor Haren Mukherjee (01-Jan 1965) and one with A P Sharma & Air Marshall M Dotiwala.

The library housed a rare table on which Lord Curzon sat and planned the bifurcation of Bnegal. Some rare artefats have also been preserved; some were: 10th century Koran with every page being a different colour, cigarette case of John anderson, silver match box of Lord Brabourne, cigarette case of Lord Linlithglow (1940), fascimile copy of the original Gitanjali, a topographical map of ruins of Gour (1817) and book called Ruins of Gour by H Creighton Esq..

The first floor was a huge wall. It had huge chandeliers and paintings. It was atleast 40 ft. high and had wooden floor. It had a large straight centre table and was used by the Governor for small parties. It had a huge painting of Jang bahadur of Nepal and one of Sir Charles Alfred Elliot (KCIE). Lt. Governor of Bengal. The space also has 2 chairs used by Lord Curzon and the one chair used by Bahadur Shah Zafar when he was being transferred to Burma. It also has huge displays of Baluch sarees (these have been added recently, it was obvious). All the chandeliers were of 1799 and were made up of Belgian glass.

There was a passage which showed us to another part on the same floor. It had chandeliers; what was unique about them was that they pronounced a distinct enjoyable sound once wind blew through them. There were large windows which clearly showed that it must have been used for the purpose which I just described. To the right was the Throne Room. It had huge curtains (same height of approximately 40 ft.). On one side of the wall was a huge urn containing some of the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi. Oath taking happens besides a huge throne which was the piece of attraction of the room. The same has been used for since 1902 and the tradition continues till date. The idea behind this was of Lord Curzon. The walls are adorned with huge paintings; prominent among them are: B C Roy by an artist Ashes Mitra, Subash Bose by Atul Bose and Nehru by Ashesh Mitra.

This part also has a balcony which clearly shows the South Gate. A peculiarity of the same is that it is used only by Heads of states of other countries, the president and the Prime Minister besides the Governor. And it is meant only for them; the spouses also are not allowed through it. VIP in true sense, Phew!!

One side led to the official chamber of Governor and his office. The approaching wall had a huge array of photographs all of the previous incumbents in the building. Ther is a bust of Tagore. We also have picture of King King George V (1865-1936), marquis of Wellesley K G (1760-1842) and few old paintings. It also had two very huge (almost 12 ft high) mirrors made of single piece Belgian glass. There are photos of Raj Bhawan (1947) and Council House & Govt. House (1794).

One the same floor we have the Prince of Wales suite; obviously named so because he had stayed here once. It has designer furniture and it was last revamped during the regime of Mr. Viren Shah when he was staying at Raj Bhawan. The same is now used by Heads of states, Prime Ministers and Presidents. It has a huge painting of Raja Ram Mohan Roy by Bikash Bhattacharya (1990) and has a personal dining room. A small room is also preserved for the physician.

One the same floor (I was literally confused with the directions by now), we had the Yellow Dining Room with carpets made by the inmates of jails and hence the name jail carpets. To one side, we had the Banquet Hall for a big private banquet of atleast 60 people. The entire length of the table had chandeliers over it. The attached kitchen was also open for us to see. It was usually empty. An interesting feature of the kitchen was a staircase with a tastefully decorated banister. We were told, it connected directly to the Ball room upstairs. In the British days, this staircase was used for transportation of food and movement of the servants so that the normal parties / banquets were not disturbed by their movements.

In the same floor is an exclusive Gandhi area. Probably the same was developed during the time of Gopal K Gandhi. It had some rare photographs. Some notable ones were: Gandhi & Lord Richard Gavin (1945) and Gandhi in maun vrat with Gov. Casey (1945). Some other rare photographs closeby were: First PM & First Gov. of West Bengal in Govt. House (1948), Nehru, M O Mathai & C Rajgopalchari, oath taking ceremony of the intermediary govt. of Bengal led by Muslim League in 1946, Padmaja Naidu swearing Chief Minister Ajoy Mukherjee (1967), Padmaja Naidu swearing in B C Roy in 1957, Nehru inspecting guard of honour in 1947 and C Rajagopalchari & Lady Protima Mitter (1947).

Among some of the private rooms we have a billiard table made by C Lazarus & Co. in 1820. In the same floor we have a Bharat Ratna room which has a list of names which have been associated with Calcutta. Some of the names scribed on the wooden palate of honour are: C Rajagopalchari, B R Ambedkar, S Radhakrishnan, C V Raman, B C Roy, I Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Satyajit Ray, Aruna Asaf Ali, Amartya Sen and Ravi Shankar.

We also visited the Council Chamber which was used for political discussion and it has been maintained as it was. The guide also shows us the North Gate which is used by the Governor to come in and also to go out when his / her term ends.

On the top floor is the Ball Room. It is huge, has large pillars and has huge golden brocades. It houses a old piano, a huge portrait of King Alexander, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. From the look, it was clear that it was not being used nowadays.

Photography was allowed only on the ground and the Ball Room; I have captured some. These photographs shall occupy a place of pride in my collection. Since this article is on the blog, I am not placing any. I was requested so by the OSD to Governor.

Photo or no photo, the travail was exciting!